Pennsylvania Woman Gambled Mother’s $150K Retirement Fund, Police Say 

A woman from Ridgway, Pennsylvania, has this week been charged with various felony theft counts after allegedly stealing $150,000 from her mother’s retirement funds to spend on gambling.

Kelly Jo Wright, 56, gained power of attorney over her mother’s finances in 2022. 

Instead of using the funds for care, Wright allegedly gambled large portions of the money on so-called skill based gaming machines, which are slot-like games that are quasi-legal in Pennsylvania. Records show she also spent tens of thousands gambling on more traditional casino games at Seneca Casino in Salamanca, New York. 

Wright was arrested shortly before Christmas and charged with three felony theft counts and one count of exploitation. Records show Wright has two other pending criminal cases in Pennsylvania. She remains in custody.

The Theft 

Wright is accused of stealing $150,000 in total from her elderly mother in just over a year. The money was allegedly stolen between March 2022 and September 19, 2023, when Wright’s sister reported her suspicions to police.

A financial planner previously employed by Wright’s mother had counseled against turning over power of attorney. But that advice was not heeded. 

Wright claimed that she was building a new extension with improved care facilities in her mother’s home. She used this as cover to withdraw large sums from her mother’s retirement account. That included prior savings and investment dividends, as well as the monthly pensions of the victim and her deceased husband.

However, Wright allegedly spent much of the funds on gambling.

Police investigators spoke to staff at two skill game gambling parlors in Punxsutawney and Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania. They confirmed Wright had been visiting three to five days a week over the prior year. Exactly how much she gambled and won or lost is unknown. But police said they estimated it to be more than $100,000. 

Somewhat brazenly, police also found that Wright had signed up for an electronic players reward club program at the Seneca Casino in upstate New York. They said this showed them Wright gambled more than $50,000 at the casino in 2022 and 2023, making a net loss of $24,000. 

According to local news, the report said the family of those involved believed the house renovations never even began.

The Arrest and Charges 

Wright was arrested over the festive period. She was charged with Financial Exploitation of a Care Dependent Person, and three counts of theft by deception. 

Police also noted in their arrest report that Wright was charged in mid-2023 with stealing $200,000 from another unnamed male victim. That was added to the 22 previous charges she was hit with that year, all related to animal cruelty on a rescue farm she helped to run.

Wright could spend up to 14 years in prison on the charges related to this case. That is not considering the pending charges in the two separate cases against her. She is due for a preliminary court hearing on January 6 relating to the most recent theft charges.

This is not the only recent case of someone stealing from a vulnerable person in order to gamble away their money. In September 2024, a British woman was sentenced to six years in prison for stealing £100,000 from an 80-year-old client with mobility and cognitive issues.